Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is a retelling of Cinderella which I really enjoy in a book, and this one did really well in my opinion. Reminded me of Once Upon a Broken Heart which is one of my favourite series. However, I wish there was a tad more romance in the story but that's just my personal opinion. The actual plot itself is really well done and really enjoyable for readers. It keeps you engaged throughout but you can tell it will be a series.. or I think it is? Overall, defintely worth a read!

YA is a bit hit and miss for me at the moment but I really enjoyed this book.
The world building is spot on and the story is really engaging taking on some unpredicted twist and turns.
whilst there seems to be a start of a love triangle neither male lead deserves her at all but Yinging is smart and tough enough to get out of most predicaments.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Five Glorious Stars for Never Ever After by Sue Lynn Tan

Sue Lynn Tan has done it again! Never Ever After is a breathtakingly lyrical tale that had me hooked from the very first page. As someone who has thoroughly enjoyed all her previous works, I went into this one with high expectations—and it still managed to exceed them.

From the start, the setting is lush, atmospheric, and beautifully imagined. Tan has an unparalleled gift for world-building, effortlessly blending myth and magic into every scene. The female protagonist’s journey is compelling, her character arc unfolding with nuance and emotional depth. I found myself rooting for her from the beginning, captivated by her strength, vulnerability, and the quiet resilience that makes her so memorable.

And the love triangle? Heart-wrenching and deliciously complex. Tan never takes the easy route with relationships, and the romantic tension here adds another rich layer to an already immersive story.

It’s hard to believe I’m already counting the days for a sequel—especially since this gem hasn’t even been released yet! If you’re a fan of beautifully written fantasy with strong heroines, emotional depth, and slow-burning tension, Never Ever After is not to be missed

So my only major gripe here is that this is being described as a fantasy romance, and it really didn’t feel it. It felt much more like The Cruel Prince series - a political fantasy which had a romance in it. The romance seemed to be more prominent in the first 30% or so, and then it very much took a backseat. However I’m pretty sure it’s a trilogy? So maybe the romance will take centre stage in 2 and 3. But that isn’t a complaint about the book itself, and more the marketing.

The writing in this was gorgeous - it’s the first Sue Lynn Tann book I’ve read, and I think her others have just jumped up my TBR. It’s lyrical without being too flowery, and intricate without being too detailed.

There were a couple of twists/plot developments which I didn’t see coming, which was nice. There were a few false leads/hints to thrown off the scene which looking back feel obvious, but at the time I didn’t even notice them!

Character development is great - Yining realising that the palace isn’t all it’s made out to be is really well done, and the side characters move along nicely as well. There’s a F/F relationship among the side characters as well.

I’m really excited to see where this goes - I feel like it’s set up book 2 really nicely in every aspect, and I’ve honestly no idea what’s gonna happen next!

For fans of - The Cruel Prince, Once Upon A Broken Heart

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC

Never Ever After is lush, gripping, and full of magic. From enchanted rings to secret identities, this book pulls you into a world where danger hides behind silk curtains—and no one is quite who they seem.

What impressed me most was the immersive storytelling. The world felt alive: opulent palaces, shadowy corridors, and mouthwatering festival scenes that made me want to step right in. And just when I thought I knew where things were headed—plot twist. This story never stops moving.

Yining is a standout heroine: clever, fierce, and just the right amount of reckless. Her dynamic with the prince is tense and intriguing, but it’s her growing bond with Jin—the rival court advisor dripping in secrets—that has me the most curious. There’s definite love triangle potential, which I'm desperately in need of.

A strong start to a new series that promises scheming royals, slow-burning tension, and plenty of surprises. I’ll be counting the days until the sequel.

The plot was great and it was beautifully written, I can certainly see why Sue is an auto buy author for so many people.
This just felt a little too YA for me and I think I’ve realised it’s a genre that doesn’t fit me anymore. I still appreciated how well done the story was though and I think for many people this will be a 5 star read

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC.

This was actually my first Sue Lynn Tan book, and you know what I had a really enjoyable time.
I enjoyed the prose and whimsical story telling style, it very much gave fairy tale vibes. Also as someone who enjoys a good C-drama, this gave that same fun, magic/fantasy imagery.
I found the FMC to actually be enjoyable, which I think can be hard to do sometimes in YA books. The different characters were all well developed and each having their own motives and problems.
I did finish this in one sitting, a well paced, entertaining and captivating story. I'd definitely be down to read the next book. (Which i'm assuming there is from the ending)

4.25 stars!

Never Ever After was a very enjoyable read. Sue Lynn Tan has a way with words, her writing always makes me feel the magic and like I'm inside the book!

This story is a Cinderella retelling but with many twists! I never knew what was going to happen and I was thrilled with the direction the story went. I never knew who to trust since no one was what they seemed. The magic system was also interesting and I really appreciated the political intrigue. With the cliffhanger we were left with, the sequel will most definitely be interesting.

Other than the beautiful writing, what kept me glued to the pages were the characters. I absolutely loved Yining, she never let her circumstances stop her, she progressively forged her own path and wasn't afraid to make difficult decisions. She was also very flawed and didn't shy away from it.
Jin and Prince Zixin were both interesting charcaters and what they show us is not necessarily their true nature. They are both scheming and hiding secrets.

While the story leans heavily on the political intrigue, the romantic subplot definitely plays an important part and there were some cute moments.

I can't wait to read the sequel!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodderscape for allowing me to read this early in exchange of an honest review!

As always, Sue Lynn Tan's works are full of beautiful and lush world building which transports you straight into another dimension. Never Ever After was a perfect blend of action, political intrigue, and a little romance, along with twists and turns. It was an enjoyable read, thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

I just finished Never Ever After and honestly... I loved it so much. It’s the kind of story that pulls you in quietly, then before you know it, you're completely lost in the world and staying up way too late reading “just one more chapter.”

I didn’t expect to fall so hard for Yining, but she’s such a brilliant main character—clever, bold, sarcastic, and deeply human. She’s not perfect, but that’s what makes her feel real. I was rooting for her from the very
The writing is just beautiful. There’s this almost lyrical quality to it, but it never feels overdone. Just enough magic and mystery, but also grounded in emotion and character.

I also loved how it played with the Cinderella idea but turned it completely on its head. It’s darker, sharper, and way more layered than I expected. The world was rich and immersive, and I was constantly highlighting lines I wanted to remember.

Honestly, if you enjoy fairytales with depth, complicated characters, and writing that feels like being wrapped in silk—read this. It stayed with me long after the last page. Can’t wait to see what happens next.All the stars.

*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

Thank you Netgalley and Hodderscape for an arc of one of my most anticipated read of the year.

Every time Sue Lynn Tan writes a new book, it end up being even better than the last.
I couldn't put my kindle down because I was so curious to know what will happen next.
The cinderella retelling Chinese edition was so well executed and gosh once again I love love love this love triangle.

The writing is as usual flawless and additive.

This book is for sure one of the best release of 2025!!!

I'm such a fan of Sue Lynn Tan's books and her writing. This story is no exception. This is a Cinderella inspired story intertwined with Chinese elements. with a female main character who is strong and will make those hard choices. The world building is so beautifully immersive and the writing is captivating. I always feel like I'm reading a fairytale but one with more complex elements and political intrigue.

I was so caught up in the story which had twists and turns. It was at time difficult to know who to trust because it felt like the characters all had their own agenda. I was surprised with certain parts and I honestly didn't see some things coming.

I flew through this book because I wanted to know what would happen next, The pacing felt good and it definitely ended with me wanting book 2. The characters were nicely fleshed out and you find out things about them, but I still want more. I just want more story and more of this world!! The romance was a nice sub plot without overtaking the story. I definitely have my fave but right now I'm unsure where it will go.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the eArc. I loved this one.

Never Ever After is a beautifully written story by Sue Lynn Tan, with complex characters, political ambitions, found family and some magic.

The start of this book felt like a Cinderella story, except cinderella uses her strength to and wit to save herself before beginning her own story.

A lot of the first part of this book is setting the magical world we find ourselves in, made up of three kingdoms. These are very distinct from each other and the politics between them forms the basis for this storyline. Our main characters are aligned with different political ambitions which sets up for alliances, betrayal and secrets.

I really enjoyed how the characters developed throughout this. I found myself viciously hating one in particular but I was also intrigued at their motives. There is a love triangle that’s lightly highlighted but with some of the revelations that occur in the second half there is a more obvious choice for our main character.

There were also some really tense moments in the second half and some jaw dropping revelations towards the end which makes me excited for Book 2. Some of the smaller twists I could predict but the final chapters of this book were so action packed I was on the edge of my seat. Having said this, I did like where we left the characters at the end and there is still so much of their story to tell. I’m really hoping we get some more of the Prince’s story and our other characters.

𝐍𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐛𝐲 𝐒𝐮𝐞 𝐋𝐲𝐧𝐧 𝐓𝐚𝐧
~ 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒅𝒖𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒚
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 𝐟𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬

𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗖𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗮-𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘀𝘆 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗗𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗼𝗻 𝗚𝗼𝗱𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘀—𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗥𝗲𝗻é𝗲 𝗔𝗵𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗵, 𝗧𝗮𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗵 𝗠𝗮𝗳𝗶, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗲𝗿.

This is Sue Lynn Tan's young adult debut and it was absolutely immaculate! Reading this book reminded me so much of the love I have to Tan's whimsical writing style and the plot and dynamic style of the Celestial Kingdom duology.

Yining the protagonist and female main character, is a orphan who is looking for a better life than the one of poverty and cruelty subjected by her step-aunt. She's a brave character from all the hardships she's gone through and she's going to put herself first every single time — not letting people control her and make decisions for her.

This book is heavy on politics and court intrigue over romance — which did not play a major role here. The intricate dynamics of relationships of the court, characters & poltics were very well woven and fledged out.

There's so many secrets and plot twists that are shocking at an understatement. Sue Lynn Tan cleverly plotted our the details and subtly hinted overshadowing of the dates and futures.

This was an amazing debut and I cannot wait for the next installment! This is an adventure packed with politics and schemes for fans of the Daughter of the Moon Goddess.

4.5 ⭐️

“If I’ve learnt anything, it’s that dreams change. And we must let go before they turn into nightmares.”

Bravo, Sue Lynn Tan, you’ve outsmarted me again! Never Ever After is another gorgeously written novel by Tan, and while flawed, continues to get better the more twists and turns are revealed, characters become more complex, and betrayals become exposed. Don’t be fooled by the title – this is a very complex novel darker than it appears, filled with vicious politics, mysterious morally gray leads, and eliciting many explosive emotions that made me want to throw my kindle across the room.

Sue knows how to set the scene and the worldbuilding was easy to follow. Essentially there are three kingdoms introduced and each one of them felt very distinct from each other. Something about Sue’s writing and ideas always feel fresh and new, leaving me with a sense of wonder that made me want to travel to these different worlds. I did crave a bit more from the world, but it is a great tease into book 2 and I cannot wait! I definitely got the fairytale vibes with this one!

The characters in this are very complex and mysterious and I found myself wanting to know more about Prince Zixin and Jin by the end of the novel. Something Sue knows how to do very well is weave plot points together. The character dynamics in this are shaping up to be very interesting in the sequel. Both Prince Zixin and Jin are integral to the novel as well as how they tie into Yining’s present and future. Sue also does not hold back writing despicable characters that are very morally gray that borderline on true evil and it genuinely made my blood boil for a certain character. Yet it made the interactions so cutthroat and electrifying that I was flying through the pages. I would say the love triangle is on the lighter side – there feels like there’s a clear love interest for Yining, but after that ending, I feel like anything could happen as well.

While I wasn’t sure how I felt about the story early on, I was enthralled as the novel continued and it just kept getting better. The political intrigue became more vicious, action-packed, characters became more complex, and the final act was explosive. In classic Sue Lynn Tan fashion, there are multiple big twists that significantly impact the story. I genuinely thought the novel was going to be predictable, and while I was able to predict a couple small twists, I was ultimately outsmarted where I didn’t predict the big ones at all, subverting my expectations entirely. My jaw dropped for a few of them and I love that the twists have big consequences going forward. Book 2 is shaping up to be very exciting!

With Sue’s previous book, Immortal, I felt that the romance was lacking, but I was really happy that the romance in this one worked for me! It was really sweet and there were a lot of moments that made me giggle. I do think there was an instant attraction Yining had to both leads, though. I wasn’t really convinced with the initial attraction she had towards the prince. I can’t say I was charmed. I get Yining’s desire to belong and live a lavish life growing up with nothing, but felt like the execution could have been better as I felt it relied more on telling than showing. But the true romance sub plot was a lot better done and did work for me. There’s also a found family trope I wasn’t so fond of either and I wasn’t entirely convinced by it as I didn’t feel the chemistry between Yining and a particular character.

Unfortunately, I would also say Yining might be my least favorite FMC out of all the ones Sue has written. There’s nothing bad about her. I like that she puts herself first, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but I just connected more to her other FMCs in past books since they put others before themselves and I personally connect to that more. But Yining is still really strong and capable. I like that she can’t be tamed and strives to be free with a strong sense of self. But I do appreciate how Sue makes all her FMCs so different and diverse where they all have a distinct voice from each other.

Despite the flaws I had for the novel, this is another solid book written by Sue Lynn Tan and I need the sequel ASAP!

A big thank you to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed this read, and managed to fly through it in just a couple of days. I had never read a Sue Lynn Tan book before despite having many on my shelf, but i certainly will be reading them now.

The worldbuilding was beautiful, i could envison everything perfectly in my mind and it really did feel like i was in the novel itself. the writing really made me feel something, whether it was sadness, happiness, anxiety, it felt as though i was in the story with the characters - who were also perfectly fleshed out, they compliment eachother well, and have a good character progression and ARC to them.

It is rather heavy on the political court side, however that is not the main focus of the story - which is rather a quest. I felt as though it was a rather light cinderella retelling, and it wasnt until after i finished that i realised that was what it was based from.

I found the storyline a little predictable, but i didnt mind this as much as the pacing was good (fast paced, and never left feeling bored) and characters flowed so well i still wanted to see where the story would lead.

The magical aspects of this were also beautiful, from the talking carp who was probably my favourite character, to magic, dragons and ofc beautiful princes and lords who come with a love triangle, and that side aspect of romance which really pushes this fantasy to the next level.

I will definitely be getting the sequel when that comes out as well!

I have ARC read many of Tan's books and each one surprises me how it's always better than the last one and I don't think I can fall even more in love with the way an author writes. the descriptions pull you in, the story is immersive!

Posted on goodreads

“I don’t care about risking myself for glory; I have the heart of a thief, not a hero. But to win against the odds — that is a prize worth bleeding for.”
“Be careful whom you trust; don’t believe any promises others might make. Only I can give you what you truly desire.”
“Wherever I am, wherever you are — I will come for you.”

The first installment of Sue Lynn Tan’s new series begins like a quiet, meandering river… until it suddenly isn’t.
ARC via NetGalley, Never Ever After was among my most anticipated reads — and it didn’t disappoint.

What I loved:
This is a Cinderella retelling infused with elements drawn from Chinese folklore, and that cultural influence shines through beautifully.
The vivid descriptions and atmospheric settings often reminded me of historical manhua.
I liked the morally grey characters, until the very last line, and even now, I can’t tell which MMC is the end game, I feel like we could still be surprised.
And by the way, I loved how the romance was only secondary in the story. The political intrigue dominates the storyline. Between betrayals, quests, deals, it was a never ending story of strategy and power seeking.
Sue Lynn Tan’s writing is lyrical and poetic, making the reading experience truly immersive.
The bonus chapter centered on Jin was a more than welcome addition.
Although I rarely read Young Adult fantasy, this one stands out for its execution — especially its plot twists, some of which genuinely floored me.

What left me divided:
Some character decisions felt questionable and some events too easily accepted, where I would have expected more tension or emotional depth.
At times, I wished certain dramatic turns had been explored further instead of giving so much space to descriptive passages.

Overall, this is a strong opening to a new series, though it leaves me with as many questions as I had at the beginning — which, in a way, only heightens my eagerness for the next book.
Rating: 4 ⭐️

This was my first book by Sue Lynn Tan, and I'm truly impressed with what she delivered. I'm very excited about the sequel and will be diving into other books by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Hodderscape for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for this ARC read,
I have just finished reading this book and I am so grateful that I was given this opportunity.
The book is so beautifully and artistically written. It has so much gentleness and a real authenticity to the way the story grows and develops.
The main character is brave and extremely likeable. The supporting characters are complex and the story takes you on so many different paths you are unsure who to trust or who is hiding secrets.
There are unexpected twists and turns which sometimes changes your view on these characters.
The last few chapters are quite explosive and I flew through them.
I would wholeheartedly recommend this beautiful immersive fantasy novel.